Underground-cable-pulling device



Dec. 16, 1930.

P. EUFINGER UNDERGROUND CABLE PULLING DEVICE Filed Oct. 2, 1928 i -'I Q Q m m x mm IINVENTOR Pei erlzytl n er BY j J (b ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PETER EUFINGER, or rnAnKron'r-oN-rnn-MArN, GERMANY, VA:

L noInn, or MUns rER, GERMANY PATENT oFF cE sicnoa mm.

unnnncnounn-CABLE-reruns DEVICE Application filed October 2, 1928, Serial No. 309,806, and in Germany March 23, 1928.

. My present invention relates to animprovement in cable pulling devices such as are utilized for drawingcables through underground conduits and the like, and has for its main object the provision of means Whereby the cables may be quickly and mechanically drawn through said conduits. I nAnother object of my invention is the provisionfof means whereby substantially intermittent' or continuous drawing of the cable through the conduit is accomplished without loss of time and with greater economy than the present more laboriousmethod' of hauling by hand, or a motor driven winch. 1 1 r 1 These and othercapabilities will be readily understood as the description proceeds, and it is obvious that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit'of the invention'or the scope of the appended claims. i

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. luis 'a section of the characteristic manhole with portions of the cable conduits or ducts shown with my apparatus mounted in operative position. I I

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus as applied in position. f

Fig. 3 is an enlargedelevational view of the apparatus with the support frame partly in section.

Figs. 4: and 5 show alternate-means for drawing the cable either intermittently or continuously. l v I f Fig. 6 is a view of the cable drawing de vice or snake.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 my device is readily applied in a conventional manhole 1 which is only fragmentarily shown, as it 'is well understood. Entering the manhole on opposite sides, in the usual fashion, there are located a plurality of sections 2 in which are located manhole ducts8 through which cables are carried in such underground construction in the well known manner.

My particular apparatus consists of a frame, the details of which may be modified, but in the preferred form is as follows.

A pair of longitudinal channels 5 and 6, of common structural shape, are riveted together, as at Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with their websface to face, thereby forming, in substance, a pair of built-upI-beam strut members, the outer opposite ends of which are provided, as illustrated in Fig. 2, withfixed threaded studs 7. These studs have mounted thereon an expanding nut 8 which" in turn bears against the outer surface-of a series of thrustblocks 9, the footings of which rest against the sidewalls 10 of the manhole 1. It is obvious that these cross bar supports,

bylmeans of the thrust blocks 9, permit of adjustment. and locking of the cable pulling frame Work, to be it later. described, at anydesired height of adjustment in relationto the cableduct3 and are arranged'to readily and quickly support the cable pulling mechanism in desired adjusted-pulling position.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be noted that l there is mounted upon'the cross frame supporting channel. members '5 and-6 an upper transverse bearing frame l0 whichis'aifixed to the said members 5 and 6 in desired operative position. Supported upon the top of this transverse frame member 1O are a pair of bearingsll-ll which operatively and rotatably mount in fixed, position a chain sprocket wheel 12 which is driven by a chain 13, as in Fig. 1,'from a pinion 14:, which sprocket intu'rn is driven by any suitable means such as a hand crank or motor which maybe mounted within the portable wheel truck 15, a portion of which is only shown in Fig. 1. Thus, movement of the sprocket 14 by any given power means causes the sprocket '12 to rotate upon its shaft 16 which ismounted within the bearings 11-11 and "which shaft is rigidly'affiired to the sprocket 12 whereby rotation of said sprocket. causes said shaft to rotate. On both outer ends of theshaft 16 are mounted, as shown in Figs.

2 and 3, a pair of. crank members 17-17,, these being splined to the shaft 16 and are thus driven by; the sprocket 12 upon rotation thereof. Attached to the outer ends of the cranks 17 are mounteda pair of connecting rods 18 whereby rotation of the cranks 17 will cause the said connecting rods 18 to reciprocate to operate the cable drawing .mecha'nism, later to be described. 1

As a means for absorbing the shock of pulling of the cable in the form of device shown in Fig. 2, especially upon the reverse stroke thereof, there is provided a pair of extensible coil springs 19 mounted upon connecting links 20 which in turn are mounted upon the crank arms 17, and the opposite ends of said springs are attached to a cross bar 21 whichv isoperatively held by a spring frame '22 which is rigidly. attachedto. the supporting frame 10 as fully indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus, uponthe stroke opposite to the traction stroke unevenness of motion is balanced. vr 1 The transverse bearing frame 10 is also provided on its opposite 'end, Figs. 1. to 3 inclusive, with a cable roller guide which is comprised-of a pair of upstanding arms 23 upwardly and outwardly inclined, and there are mounted between them a plurality of cable rolls 24 which are mounted upon trunnions 25', these-in turn'being: fixedly mounted upon the guide frames 23 so that when the cable is being withdrawn from the conduit and being laid upwardly and out of the man hole and on to the cable drum 26, Fig.1,the

. cable 27 is given an easy curve and guided upwardly inthe direction to be readily taken up' by the drum 26"as the slack'of the cable is being thus removed. I

The connecting rods 18 may be connected as in Fig. 5 to a cable draw or snake 28, this being in the usual form of a solid cylindrical collar-"29 having trunnions 30 on opposite sides thereof whereby the opposite ends of the connecting rods18 maybe attached there to so that rotation of the cranksl'? causes an oscillatory motion of the collar29 atone end ofawhich is afiiXed the said snake 28.

Thesnake 28 is in the form'of a woven metal fabric or chain of cylindrical form -which has thereon a diagonal'weave as shown, whereby, when pushedupon it, ex-

pands and releases its grip upon the cable,

but when drawn inthe opposite direction toward the apparatus closes upon the cable and grips the same firmly and thus forms, in effrom theconnecting rods in Fig. 6 as well as in Figs. 4 and 5.

In the action of the device as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5,the withdrawing ofthe cable from the ducts 3 is purely an intermittent one, as the snake engages and disengages in accordance with the rotary motion of the sprocket 12 and therefore releases'intermit- 'tently and pulls intermittently in alternate sequence. It sometimes becomes desirable to move the cable in practically acontinuous motion, to which end an alternate form of mounting 16 are shown with the sprocket removed, and the crank arms 17 are mounted in" opposite positions for opposite throw instead of being set for coincidental throw, as

in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, thus obtaining a twothrow alternate crank motion rather than, a two-throw single crank'motion; i I

In the particular construction shown in Fig. 4, one connecting rod 18, which is shorter than the other connecting rod 18, is connected" toia; snake 28 ,ongthe-opposite end of the snakesleeve 29 which is connected to a diagonal -connecting rod 18" so that when the crank'arm is in movement the snake is slid alongand grips the; cable 27, a portion of whichcable is shown in this view;

'Tl1e outer longer connecting rod 18 connects to a second'snake '28 and has also a diagonal supplementalconnected arm 18*, the snakeals'o being shown in operative engagement with the cable 27 with both cable snakes sufficiently spaced apart to permit of clearing movement of each other duringtheir alternateoscillation.

' It'ijsobvious, from the foregoingde'scription, that the structure shown in Fig. 4: is similar in every respect to the device shown in Fig. 5-, with the exception that an alternate pick-upjand pull cable, by the device showninFig. 5, is developed into a substantially continuous pick-upand pull, by the mechanism shown in Fig. 4'.

It is to benoted that the pull carrying frame l0"- is transversely shiftable and lockable alongits seat on the tops of the supporting channels 56 and this movement; to.-

get-herwith the adjustability of the. device against the side walls of the manhole 1, permits of anaxial and universal alinement of the cable pullingdevice to any desired-conduit duct' from'whichit is desired to withdraw a cable; 4

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is; feet, a releasable cable gr1pp1ng sleeve WlllCh 1.. In a cable puller of the class described an adjustable wall engaging frame, to bridge a manhole," a transversely shiftable bearing frame, lockably mounted thereon a shaft,

'revolvably supported by said bearing frame, a crank, secured to'said shaft, and substantially horizontally disposed means, con nected to saidcrank, forintermittently engaging and pulling a "cable'at said manhole.

. 2.. In acable puller of the classdcscribed an. adjustable wall engaging. frame,,to bridge a manhole, a transversely shiftable bearing frame, lockablymounted thereon, a shaft, re-

.volvably supported bysaid bearing frame,

a crank, secured to said shaft, a substantially horizontally disposed means, connected to sald crank, for intermittently; engaging and pulling a cable at said manhole, and means for directing the pulled cable upwardly.

3. In a cable puller of the class described l. In a cable puller of the class described an adjustable Wall engaging frame, to bridge a manhole, a transversely shiftable bearing frame, lockably mounted thereon, a shaft,

revolvably supported by said bearing frame, multiple cranks, secured to said shaft in opposite phases thereof, and means, connected to said cranks, for alternately pulling a cable at said manhole, thereby rendering the pulling effort substantially continuous.

5. In a cable puller of the class described an adjustable wall engaging frame, to bridge a manhole, a transversely shiftable bearing frame, lockably mounted thereon, a shaft, revolvably supported by said bearing frame, one or more cranks, secured to said shaft, a means, connected to said cranks, for intermittently engaging and pulling a cable at said manhole, and one or more springs, for absorbing the shock of pulling the cable, connected to said cranks and said bearing frame.

6. In a cable puller of the class described an adjustable Wall engaging frame, to bridge a manhole, a transversely shiftable bearing frame, lockably mounted thereon, a shaft, revolvably supported by said bearing frame, a crank, secured to said shaft, a substantially horizontally disposed means, connected to said crank, for intermittently.engaging and said crank, for intermittently engagingvand pulling a cable at-said manhole, a source of power, movably positioned overhead, a sprocket Wheel at said source, another sprocket Wheel on said shaft, and a chaln in mesh with said Wheels, for transmitting motion to said shaft from said source.

9. In a cable puller of the class described an adjustable Wall engaging frame,to bridge a manhole at a desired level thereof, a transversely shiftable bearing frame, lockably mounted thereon, said bearing frame being transversely shiftable and lockable along its seat on said Wall engaging frame, thereby providing with the adj ustability of said Wall engaging frame a means for universal alignment, a shaft,revolvably supported by said bearing frame, a crank, secured to said shaft, and means, connected to said crank, for intermittently engaging and pulling a cable at said manhole.

10. In a cablepuller of the class described cable gripping Woven sleeve, Which has thereon a diagonal Weave, whereby, When pushed upon, it expands and releases its grip upon the cable, and, When drawn in the opposite direction, it closes upon the cable and grips the same firmly, and a means for alternately moving said sleeve in opposite directions on said cable, thereby alternately pulling the cable and releasing the same and moving said sleeve With relation to said cable.

V Signed at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, in the county of I-Iessen-Nassan and State of Prussia this 21st day of September PETER EUFINGER.

pulling a cable at said manhole, grooved rollers, for directing the pulled cable upwardly, and means for revolvably supporting said rollers, connected to said bearing frame.

7. In a cable puller of the class described an adjustable Wall engaging frame, to bridge a manhole, a transversely shiftable bearing frame, lockably mounted thereon, a shaft, revolvably supported by said bearing frame, a crank, secured to said shaft, substantially horizontally disposed means, connected to said crank, for intermittently engaging and pulling a cable at said manhole, a source of power movably positioned over-head, and a means connected to said shaft, for transmitting motion thereto from said source.

8. In a. cable puller of the class described an adjustable Wall engaging frame, to bridge a manhole, a transversely shiftable bearing frame, lockably mounted thereon, a shaft, revolvably supported by saidbearing frame, a crank, secured to said shaft, substantially horizontally disposed means, connected to 

